The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-18
A COSTLY HOBBY.
VAST SUMS EXPENDED IN BUY
ING ART TREASURES.
Prices Paid by Rich New York
ers for Articles That Have
No Practical Use-A
Slipper Collector.

No PRACTICAL use n
Slipper Collector.
It would surprise the practical man,
who esteems $500 set of china dishes
for his table an extravagant luxury, if he
knew the immense sums that certain
New Workers spend every year in fine
pottery, porcelains and stoneware which
have no practical utility. A gentleman
who is far from being millionaire,
writes Amos J. Cummings in New
York letter, called last week at one of
the stores in the vicinity of Union
Square, where choice polcelains, pottery,
etc., are sold, and saw pair of placques
decorated with lilies. He asked the
price, and when told that the pair could
be purchased for $4,000, he wrote out
bis check with feverish haste, as if he
feared rival would get the treasures. A
practi cal man, not enjoying the taste of
a Collector, would have deemed $40 a
high price for them.
Previous to the Centennial there were
practically no collectors in this country.
Now New York has scores of them, fif-
teen of whom are of wide reputation, and
half a dozen dealers do a driving bust
ness in catering to them. Collectors OF
pottery, porcelains, bronzes, ivories and
cut glass are yearly becoming more
numerous in New York, and many very
intelligent collectors in the large West
ern cities are springing into prominence.
In the cultivation of this hobby America
bids fair to surpass the rest of the world.
The taste once formed, the devotee to
old ware has a degree of enthusiasm
known in no other line of luxury. Nor
is the enjoyment of the ceramic craze,
as the novice calls it, wasteful luxury
An intelligent collector who meets with
a reverse of fortune can sell his treasures
for more than they. cost him. Many
pieces of Chinese and japanese ware
which cost $1OO each have been sold for
5000 or more. ,
When the feudal system was abolished
in Japan in 1871 the aristocracy were
forced to part with their art treasures, the
sale of which saved many of them from
absolute want. Diplomats and Ameri-
can residents in China and Japan are
very apt to become collectors, and the
purchases they have made and thrown
upon the American market from ne
cessity or as speculation have helped
start the ceramic craze here. The Chi
nese, like the japanese ceramic art, Is in
its decadence, and the former have pro-
duced nothing highly valued by collec-
tors since 1900. In the Ming dynasty,
when the Chinese Emperor kept his pot
tiers, with whom time and money were
no object, they produced ware which
many a collector would now give his for
tune to possess. 1t was during this dy-
nasty that the famous peach-blow vase
was made. Occasionally distinguished
Chinaman or japanese brings over a
choice specimen, but most of the rare OBJ
iects are sent over by importers.
A few wealthy New Workers make q
speciality of bronzes. France furnishes
some splendid examples of modern SUBJ
iects, and the Russians are noted Tor
their bronze animal pieces, that are mar
velous as to details. An importer showed
the writer Russian bronze representing
a herd of Russian horses, and valued at
$4,000. To the novice who could more
readily appreciate the object than big
green vase perfectly plain and valued at
5000, the bronzes seemed the more
valuable object.
They are now making some fine bronzes
in New York, one of which is the statue
of Garfield. to be erected in Washington.
America is turning out some fine pot
teries and porcelains, too, and one Sixth
avenue dry goods merchant makes a
specially of collecting American specl-
mems. The choicest examples, however,
come from abroad. In certain lines OF
cut glass American makers are beginning
to cater to collectors, although they have
not as vet mastered the art of turning out
the best ''stem goods" such as goblets
and champagne glasses. A New York
cut glass collector has just paid $S, OoO
for a set of champagne glasses cut in the
new spiral style, showing finely carved
flowers twining about the glass like vines
about tree.
The dealers in choice china and glass
are very particular W ChiPioy SiSthS "AeA~
steady nerves, but once in while an ac-
cident will occur. Last week clerk In
one of these stores let fall vase whit b
looked like very ordinary affair, but 1t
was valued at $4,000 and the accident
cost the firm an amount equal to the
clerks salary for two years.
Chicago has more collectors than any
Western city, and Baltimore and Boston
rank next to New York, Dickens onee
wrote a very interesting puff for one of
the English manufacturers OF pottery.
1t helped to make the fortune OF the firm,
whose branch house in New York has re-
published it for distribution among their
customers. -
In the line of collectors Of curious
treasures none was more peculiar than a
rich old bachelor of Norwalk, Ohio, who
used to send to New York and buy shoes
and slippers of rare and costly pattern.
He was said, at the time of his death,
not long ago, to have the rarest collec-
tion of footwear in America.